Constipation can cause many problems, especially for your elderly loved ones. It can cause them pain like severe abdominal pain, hemorrhoids, or feeling highly irritated or stressed. Luckily, you can help them to manage and prevent constipation effectively. Here is a guide on treatments for chronic constipation.
Common Signs and Symptoms
Before trying to help your loved ones, you first must understand the common signs and symptoms of chronic constipation. Constipation is rather frequent among the general population, and it grows more so as people age. Constipation affects over 65 percent of individuals over the age of 65, according to experts, with straining being a particularly typical symptom.
Constipation is usually diagnosed when your loved ones suffer two or more of the following signs in at least 25 percent of their bowel movements:
- Stools that are lumpy or hard
- Straining
- A feeling of unfinished evacuation
- The need for “manual maneuvers”
- A week with fewer than three bowel movements
How to Treat Constipation
The best way to cure constipation is to figure out what the major reasons and contributors to a person’s symptoms are. The health care professional should begin by gathering more information about the symptoms, such as how long they have been present and the consistency and frequency of stools. Here are some ways to treat constipation:
- Increasing Dietary Fiber Intake: Eating plenty of vegetables, whole grains, fruits, and high-fiber foods can help as it increases the size and weight of your stool, softening it. Constipation is less likely to happen if your stool is bulkier since it is easier to pass. Fiber also absorbs water and provides volume to the stool, which can help to solidify loose or watery stools.
- Drink More Water: Increasing your fluid intake can help your digestive to flush things out of your body, making it easier for your stools to move.
- Encouraging Regular Toilet Routine: Do not hold it off until the last minute. Use the bathroom if you need to and give yourself enough time to get everything out.
- Pelvic Muscle Training: When the muscles that help you pass stools are not working well, you can exercise them with help from a physical therapist. Biofeedback is the term for this exercise, which can assist you in learning how to relax when passing a stool.A tiny tube known as a catheter is inserted into your rectum. It is a device that measures muscular tension. A machine will inform you when you are relaxed or when you have stiffened your muscles as you go through the workout.
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